Steerable catheters are provided, some of which include an axial member incorporated in an elongate shaft member, where, in some instances, different edge portions of the axial member exhibit different radii of curvature. In some instances, a furthest-apart pair of points on an external boundary of a cross-section of the axial member is closer to an interior edge than an exterior edge of a tubular member of the elongate shaft member.

A steerable catheter may include an elongate shaft member and a braided reinforcement structure embedded into a wall of the elongate shaft member. The braided reinforcement structure may include a first braided portion including a first pick count, a second braided portion including a second pick count, and a third braided portion including a third pick count. The third pick count may be greater than each of the first pick count and the second pick count.

A catheter is made by coextruding first and second molten polymers, wherein the second molten polymer forms a flexible inner core and the first molten polymer forms exactly two bands on opposite sides of the inner core. The inner core is braided, and a third molten polymer extruded onto the braid to form a flexible jacket that encloses the braid, the bands and the inner core. The bands are more rigid than the inner core, and they provide preferential in-plane bending.

The present disclosure provides a catheter including a plurality of a segments, each segment having a stiffener extending along its length. The plurality of segments are interconnected with connectors such that each of the segments can bend in multiple planes via rotation of the connectors.

An instrument having a flexible and elongated body includes at least a lumen and a flex member disposed within the lumen. The flex member may be capable of providing steering control to a first portion of the elongate body while providing load bearing support to a second portion of the elongate body. A pull wire may be disposed within the flex member, and at least a distal portion of the pull wire may be coupled to the elongate body and a proximal portion of the pull wire may be operatively coupled to a control unit. The control unit may be coupled to a proximal portion of the elongate body. In addition, a control member may be operatively coupled to the control unit such that a distal portion of the control member may be positioned near a proximal portion of the flex member. The control member may be configured to support the flex member and control the movement or displacement of the flex member. Furthermore, the flex member may be configured to selectively decouple articulation or steering forces of a first portion of the elongate body away from a second portion of the elongate body; thereby, preventing compression of the second portion of the elongate body while maintaining elasticity or flexibility of the second portion of the elongate body.

The present invention discloses a microcatheter, with tubular structure, comprising a catheter body, a sharp portion disposed at a distal end of the catheter body, the catheter body comprises: a inner layer with a hollow lumen; a tubular intermediate layer wrapped outside the inner layer, comprising a spring layer and a braid above the spring layer, the braid extending longitudinally along a part of the spring layer; and a tubular outer layer, wrapped outside the intermediate layer; the part of the spring layer which is not wrapped by the braid is bent at a certain angle along a longitudinal axis of the catheter body. The catheter body of the microcatheter of the invention is configured to have a multilayered structure, and the braid is only wrapped on spring layer near to the proximal end; the part of the spring layer not wrapped by the braid can be bent at a corresponding angle to adapt to an angle between the main branch and the branch of the coronary artery, to make sure that the microcatheter can reach the bifurcation lesions of the coronary artery.

A catheter includes a shaft having a lumen extending from a distal end to a proximal end. The shaft includes a reinforcement body including a plurality of wires that are disposed on at least a part between an inner surface of the shaft forming the lumen and an outer surface of the shaft and that are braided in a tubular shape, and at least one radiopaque marker disposed between the reinforcement body and the outer surface of the shaft. An outer diameter difference, which is a difference between an outer diameter of the shaft in a portion where the marker is disposed and an outer diameter of the shaft in a portion adjacent to the marker in an axial direction of the shaft, is smaller than twice a thickness of the marker.

Several embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to medical visualization systems that comprise combinations of disposable and resuable components, such as catheters, functional handles, hubs, optical devices, etc. Other embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to features and aspects of an in-vivo visualization system that comprises an endoscope having a working channel through which a catheter having viewing capabilities is routed. the catheter may obtain viewing capabilities by being constructed as a vision catheter or by having a fiberscope or other viewing device selectively routed through one of its channels. The catheter is preferably of the steerable type so that the distal end of the catheter may be steered from its proximal end as it is advanced with the body. A suitable use for the in-vivo visualization system includes but is not limited to diagnosis and/or treatment of the duodenum, and particularly the biliary tree.

The teachings herein relate to devices for insertion into a cavity, opening or other passageway that requires the bending of the device to conform to a curved or even tortuous shape of the path. The devices include axial support components for translating forces for moving the device forward in the path. The axial support components preferably include adjacent components capable of rocking for tilting the device in one or more directions. The device preferably includes one or more lateral support components for limiting any lateral motion of an axial support component relative to an adjacent axial support component.

Catheters include first and second segments that each include a proximal end and a distal end. A first connector of each catheter includes a first portion connected to the distal end of the first segment and a second portion connected to the proximal end of the second segment. The first portion and the second portion are engaged so that the first portion can rotated relative to the second portion about an axis of the first connector. The first segment and the second segment can bend in multiple planes via a rotation of the first portion relative to the second portion about the axis.